Nail-driving machine



July 23, 1957 Filed Aug. l, 1955 c. J. BACON EI'AL NAIL-DRIVING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4 TTRNE Y 2 sheets-sheet 2v lill/...925i WA CLM/70N .7. 5460A/ gm/5L KENT wrom/EY July 23, 1-957 c. J. BACON ETA.

NAIL-DRIVING MACHINE y Filed Aug. l, 1955 NAIL-DG MASE'ME Clinton J. Bacon, Los Angeles, and Samuel J. Kent, Van Nuys, Calif., assigner-s to N11-Matic Nailer, inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application August 1, 1955, Serial No. 525,745

8 Claims. (Cl. 1-44.4)

This invention relates to improvements in nail-driving machines and deals more particularly with machines that feed nails automatically into position to be driven by pneumatic or percussive means.

Because of their percussive nature, metal fatigue, resulting in the fracture of parts subject to percussion, is a frequent problem. Such failure most frequently affects nail driver-retaining means used in the construction, since this means has the percussive force on the driver transmitted to it. Reference is made to Patents Nos. 2,546,354, dated March 27, 1951; 2,652,564, dated September 22, 1953; and 2,679,044, dated May 25, 1954, as showing driver-retaining means that are sources of such failure.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to pro-vide a machine of the character indicated in which the percussive forces by the nail driver on the retainer provided for said driver are effectively absorbed to minimize metal fatigue in the parts with a resultant decrease in failure of the parts.

Another problem in such machines is the proper feed of nails, as from a hopper, to a position from which they are driven into a board. Machines of the type shown in said patents use a tiltable hopper in which the nails are agitated to cause their feed along a slideway to an escapement means that releases said nails, one by one, as the machine is operated. Since the hopper is movable and the mentioned slide has a fixed position, nail jamming frequently occurs at the point where the nails leave the hopper.

In order to correct this condition, it is another object of the invention to provide improved means effecting such interconnection of the nail hopper and the feed slide of a nailing machine so that proper and non-jamming feed of nails may be carried out.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use,

easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a nail-driving machine according to the present invention and shown in nail-driving position.

Fig. 2 is a similar but fragmentary view showing the machine in extended position preparatory to driving a nail.

Fig. 3 is 'a front elevational view, with the upper part broken away, showing said machine in the position of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged and fragmentary vertical sectional tent rice

view showing the nail-feeding and nail-driving details of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the portion of the machine that is shown in Fig. 4.

The machine that is illustrated comprises, generally, a nose piece 10 fitted with a stirrup 11 by means of which the foot of an operator may hold said nose piece in nail-driving position, a rigid outer guide frame 12 axed to the nose piece and extending vertically upward, air-actuated hammer means 13, a slide frame 14 connected to the means 13 and guided by the frame 12, a nail driver 15 guided in the nose piece and in operative engagement with the hammer means 13, resilientlymounted retainer means 16 for the nail driver and carried by the slide frame 14, nail hopper means 17 connected to and movable by the slide frame 14, nail-guiding and -feeding means 18 aiiixed to the nose piece, and means 19 extending between the means 13 and the hopper means 17 to guide nails from the latter to the former.

The nose piece 10 and the stirrup 11 are connected by a universal ball joint 20 that enables a change of angular disposition of the machine with relation to the stirrup. Said nose piece is provided with an axial through passage 21 and with a lateral slot 22, the former to receive a nail 23 to be driven and the latter to pass such a nail to the former. Said slot is shown with a widened upper portion 24 to pass the head 25 of such a nail. As best seen in Fig. 3, the nose piece 113 is transversely widened to be substantially wider than the diametral size of the lower end 26. The guide frame 12 is affixed to said widened upper portion of the nose piece.

The guide frame 12 is shown as comprising a pair of vertically disposed side members 27 that constitute guides, the same being secured to the opposite sides of the nose piece and, therefore, are disposed on either side of the axis of passage 21.

At its upper end the frame 12 is provided with a cross bar 2&3 offset rearwardly from members 27 and connected thereto by members 29. While shown as fabricated of separate members, it will be understood that the guide frame 12 may be integrally formed as a casting or forging.

The hammer means 13 is generally conventional of pneumatic percussive devices. As shown, the same comprises a cylinder 3% that has an upper tubular extension 31 which terminates in a handle 32 that has an air connection 33 and is provided with a control Valve exemplified by valve handle 34. Said cylinder 30 is provided with an axial bore in which a piston 35 is guided, the latter being reciprocatively movable by compressed air supplied through connection 33. The particular form of the pneumatic hammer means 13 is not pertinent to this invention, it only being necessary to provide a percussive hammer or piston An axial guide 36 is preferably provided in the lower end of cylinder 39, the same holding the upper end of the driver 15 in alignment with the piston 35, as best shown in Fig. 4,

The slide frame 14 comprises vertically spaced members 37 and 38 that are connected by a longitudinal member 39. The cylinder 3@ is mounted in members 37 and 3S and the latter are provided with guide notches 49 in which the guide members 2'7 are slidingly iitted. Thus, the hammer means 13 is vertically reciprocable relative to the nose piece 1i?.

The nail driver 15 comprises an elongated element having a pilot end 41 guided in the guide 36 of t ie pneumatic cylinder 30, said end being in percussive engagement with the reciprocative piston 35. The opposite end of said driver comprises a shank 42 that is slidingly tted in axial bore 21 of the nose piece and, between said pilot end and shank, the driver is provided with an enlargement l43 that has a position between'the lower end of the pneumatic cylinder and the upperend of thef'nose piece. Thehlower end of said enlargement constitutes an annular shoulder or abutment `44.` Y

The' retainer means liisshown as ay slide member 4 5 that spans between and has sliding engagement`-with the frameguide members 27.` A`hole46'inrsaid member 45 passes the driver shank 42 and the top face'thereof has Labutting engagementwith shoulder 44, as shown in Figs. 2 k and 3. A pair of studs ,47 is aixedto member 45 on either side of hole 46, said studs extending through clearance Vholcsr48 in slide member 38 and terminating in heads49. Compression springs 5()V around said studs have l endabutment with members38 and 45V and compensating V,springs 5,1;around said studs have end abutment with heads 49 and .member 38. Y

Y vIt .Will be seen that .slide member 45 .is resiliently mountedl onsprings 51 and that springs .50 allow resilient movement of member 145 toward` and from member 138. YItis this member that retains thejpilot end 41 of .the .driver'lSfWithin theV guide ,-36 and inoperative engagement with the piston Y35, when the machine is extended, by the engagement of said member with the shoulder44, as .shownrin Figs. l2 and 4.

The nose piece is provided With ,a compressible buiermember 52 against which the slide or retainer member .45 abuts, the latter being cushioned by -the buler member 52.

vWhen the Ymachine is extended, as inFig. 2, a nail 23 assumes a position inpassage 21.belowithe lower end of driver shank 42. The operator depresses the hammer means 13 Ywhich is guided by` frame 12 to, rst, bringsaid Vshank into engagement'with .the head of said nail, and to 'thereafter unseat the driver enlargement-43 from member A45 and force the same in a direction to further intrude the driver pilot -41 into cylinder'30. See Fig. 4. Since the downward movement of theV means 13 is thus arrested, it 'becomes necessary, inorder to drivethe nail, to set the piston into reciprocative'movement so as torpercuss against the. nail driver which transmits Vsuch percussive force .to the nail. i v

As the nail is driven, the means 13 follows downwardly vuntil the slide member 45 encounters buffer or Ycushion f52,which arrests the downward movement Yof said member. 'SeeFig 4. Since the driving Vmovement of the means 13 continues, the slide frame 14 moves down Vagainst the resilient resistance of springs 50 until VVthe'l nail is driven home, at which time the'shoulder 44 will .again abut the member ..45 and ,the ,downward movement of the hammer necessarily stops. vThe operator then .lifts Vthemachine back into its extended position.

Y It will be noted that the percussive forces on the driver Y`are positively transmittedto lthe nail but only resiliently aifect the retainer meansA 16 by reason of the springsg'S() and 51 and the buffer or cushion52, Y

The nail hopperlrneans 17 istshown as comprising a pair ofarms 55 that are pivotally connected at one end to the `.slide frame14 at.5 5a, andat the opposite end to links 56 4Vat .'56a.

bottom of a hopper Vor container'57. Intermediate .the v-ends of said arms55, the same are pivotally connected to struts -58 at 58a and the struts 58 arepivotallyconnected, Vat l59, to xed rearward extensions 60 of the no se piece. `Said extensions 60, at the ends thereof spaced from pivots `59, have pivots 61 for brackets 62 secured to the bottom t of ,h opper 57 forward of where`links56 are connected. The extensions are rendered rigid byrbraces 63 that kconnect them to the guide frame 12.

It will be obvious `that the downward pressure on theV yhandlewill depress the hammerrmeans 13 from its ex- -tended position, as shown in Fig. 2, and thereby oscillate `,the arms 55 aboutthe'center pivots 58a. v`'Ihesepivots A,serve as fulcrums'for the arms 55, `so that-when-reciprocat- ThelinksfS are pivotally connected to the Y llO .membersfl -thatarersuperposed on members 65 and ing movement of the kmeans 13 imparts oscillating move ment to the arms, through the pivoted connection'SSa,

`.1;he..hopper57 Ywill .be tiltedupwardly and downwardly,

depending upon the direction of reciprocation of said means 13, by means of the links 56 interconnecting the hopper and the arms 55 at the pivots 56a. Thus the nails in said hopper are agitated during operation of the machine.

This agitation is used to cause nails, point iirst, to pass along a longitudinal slot 64 in the bottom of the hopper and tofall therefrom when the hopper is tiltedfront end downward, as in.Figs.`1 and 4, as will be explained below.y v Y f i The means 1,8 comprises sloping nail-guiding members 65 that dene a slot 66 therebetween, said slot being longitudinally aligned with the slot 64. At its lower end, said means includes an escapement 67 that is Vconnectedrby means 68 to be operated by movement of arms 55. .v EachY time the driver is operating to sink ay nail,r the escapement is operatedso that'1 sameiwillV release another nail tothe position shown in *liglll at the right of the driver, preparatory to moving into the passage 21 upon upwardretraction of the driver. 'Said means, perse, vforms no part Vof the, presentimplrovements and :here constitutes the/.meansthat mounts the means 19. l i

wLIhe means '19 isshown as comprising curved extensions 69l f theA guide members 65, the curvature of said extensions ,being generated around` the axis of pivots161 and'iut'angent relationship With` the bottom wall of the .hopper and'rin `'which slot 64 isprovide'd. Consequently, saidbottomwall retains tangency with said extensions in .al1-positionsv of tilt of thev hopper, as clearly shown by the k.drawingsi Y ,Thel means.19 Vfurther .comprises a pair of a't spring similarly spacedV tor provide Yslot 66. v:Said spring members are secured to guide members 65, as by plates71, and extendrearward (Figi 1.)v between plates 72, aihxed to the zbottomof the hopper and disposed on either sideV of slot :64,1and retention Washe1's73 that slidingly clamp the springs against plates 72. Y

' Since;plates 71.aiix oneend of the springs to the feed means 18 and inasmuch as the hopper tilts back and forth Ven tlie axis 'of the .pivots 61, there is a sliding engagement `between the Vplates 72 at the bottom of the hopper and the free ends ofthe springmembers 70, .the latter exingover betweenf spring members 70. Accordingly,.the nails can- 'notb'ecome accidentally jammed, because said members V.70 constitute a continuous meansfor guiding nails to the @arremeten Y ,'Whileithe vforegoing'has illustrated and-described what wis now contemplated tobe the best mode of carryingV out our invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modicationwithout departing from the spirit and scope ofthe` invention. It is, therefore, not desiredto restrict theinvention `to the particulary form of construction il- Y`lustratedy and. described, jbut to coverlall modifications that fmayfall withinthe scope'of they appended claims. V'l-Ialvingfthusf,described"our invention, what we claim and desire'to securel by 'Letters Patent'is:

1 ,A nailfdriving machine Vcomprrismg a nose piece Ahaving ath'rough "passage adapted tov'house a nail to be driven,a. pneumatic"device,aligned with the nose'piece andhavingan air-reciprocated element, an outer guide frame axe'd to and lextending upwardly fromthe vnose ,piece,.a slide connected to said device and engaged with `Vthe'V .guide .fof `reciprocatiyely guiding" the device llongin Y tudinally'relative to the nose piece, a nail driver having a shank at onemendy extending into the passage vthe nosefypiece,andhYIlgdart QpposlteA end 1n percussive engagemeli with'the reciprocative element of the pneumatic device, and resiliently-mounted driver-retaining means carried by said slide for holding the driver in operative engagement with said reciprocative element before the shank of said driver encounters a nail in the passage of the nose piece.

2. A nail-driving machine comprising a nose piece having a through passage adapted to house a nail to be driven, a pneumatic device aligned with the nose piece and having an air-reciprocated element, an outer guide frame aixed to and extending upwardly from the nose piece, a slide connected to said device and engaged with the guide for reciprocatively guiding the device longitudinally relative to the nose piece, a nail driver having a shank at one end extending into the passage in the nose piece and having an opposite end in percussive engage ment with the reciprocative element of the pneumatic device, resiliently-mounted driver-retaining means carried by said slide for holding the driver in operative engagement with said reciprocative element before the shank of said driver encounters a nail in the passage of the nose piece, and a compressible cushion interposed between the nose piece and the guide-retaining means to absorb the percussive forces transmitted by the driver to said retaining means.

3. A nail-driving machine according to claim 1: said driver-retaining means comprising a member in independent sliding engagement with the guide frame, and spring means between said slide and said member compressible upon `contact between said member and the nose piece.

4. A nail-driving machine according to claim 1: said driver-retaining means comprising a member in independent sliding engagement with the guide frame, and spring means between said slide and said member compressible upon contact between said member and the nose piece, a compressible cushion being interposed between the nose piece and the mentioned member to absorb percussive forces on the member.

5. In a percussion machine of the character referred to having a cylinder in which an air-reciprocated element is disposed, the combination comprising a driver member aligned with and in percussive engagement with the mentioned element, a member engaged with the driver member to hold the latter in percussive engagement with sairi element, and resilient means interconnecting said cylinder and second-mentioned member to absorb percussive shocks imparted by the air-reciprocated element through the driver to said second member.

6. In a percussion machine according to claim 5: a guide means for said cylinder whereby the latter is movable in the direction of the percussive forces, and second guide means for said second member.

7. In a percussion machine according to claim 5: a nose piece in which said driver member operatively moves, a guide carried by the nose piece, and means slidingly interconnecting the cylinder and said guide.

8. In a percussion machine according to claim 7: said second member having slide-guiding engagement with the mentioned guide.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 580,589 Woodward Apr. 13, 1897 987,331 Taylor Mar. 21, 1911 2,445,674 Kendall July 20, 1948 2,652,564 Bacon Sept. 22, 1953 

